Bahamas Out Matched By Cayman Islands

Team Bahamas continued their scoring woes in their most recent loss in the North America Rugby Championships.

The team lost their second consecutive match, 20-8, to the Cayman Islands on the road in George Town, Cayman.

Brain Baker had the first chance to put the Bahamas on the board, but failed to convert the 45 yard kick. This gave the Cayman Islands their first opportunity to touch the ball and they took full advantage as Venasio Tokatokavanua scored the opening try less than two minutes later. Hanson Shaw convened the extra point to give Cayman a 7-0 lead.

The Bahamas battled back with a scoring opportunity about 20 minutes into the first half, when Conner Albury had an opening on the sideline and extended for what looked to be a sure try only to be knocked out of bounds at the last minute by a Cayman defender. Albury would unfortunately suffer a broken leg on the play.

Cayman dominated the remainder of the half as Shaw converted a kick earned from a Bahamas penalty to give his team a 10 – 0 lead. Near the end of the half, Andre Ormond increased the home team’s lead with a late half try to give Cayman the 15-0 lead headed into the half.

The trend continued in the second half as as it took just three minutes for Cayman’s Justin White to post another try on the scoreboard for his side. After a failed conversion they held a 20-0 lead.

The Bahamas fought tough of the remainder of the second half, but at a crucial point of the match they were unable to score with the ball inside the five meter line. The drive ended with a knockon giving the ball back the the Cayman Islands.

Ten minutes after their failed attempted, the Bahamas was able to get on the score board for the first time when Mark Hammertoe took advantage of a unorganized Cayman defence to trim the deficit 20 – 5.

The game produced several yellow cards with Patrick Arthur of the Bahamas and Chris Kennedy of the Cayman islands both being sent to the sin bin.

Cayman’s Scooby Western was then giving a yellow card five minutes after for persistent infringement giving the Bahamas a one man advantage, but they were only able to gain three points off the advantage. Brian Baker made a 35 yard field goal for the game’s final mark.

Despite an energetic second half the Bahamas was unable to match the class that the Cayman Islands produced on the field.

The Bahamas has lost both group matches so far and have mathematically been eliminated for advancing to the second stage of the tournament after they lost to Mexico earlier this month, 39-3

The Bahamas will travel to Bermuda, June 4th for their last match of the RAN series.